Warning to motorists after A19 crash

Queues stretched for at least five miles during this morning’s rush hour.

The incident happened on the A19 southbound carriageway at 7.40am between a blue Chevrolet Spark car driven by a man and a red Saab 9-3 Turbo driven by a woman.

The drivers of the cars escaped uninjured but the one lane of the A19 southbound at Elwick was closed and one reader who was travelling on the road at the time told the Mail that queues were building up as far back as Peterlee.

Even though the accident is now cleared and the cars involved have been removed, motorists are advised to drive past the scene with care as there is debris on the road surface.